Author Topic: Trip Two Shaoguan  (Read 8856 times)

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shaun

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Re: Trip Two Shaoguan
« Reply #45 on: June 26, 2010, 06:08:23 am »
The day before yesterday June 24 Peggy and I didn't do much of anything.  The only thing to note was that we were in the grocery store and yet again a thief tried to strike.  Peggy and I were discussing buying a product.  Her large handbag where we have been carrying the translator, my camera, my sunglasses, her money, umbrella and various other items was in the childs seat and our backs were to it.  For some reason I turned around, a man was just putting his hand in the bag.  He suddenly jerked it out.  I began walking around be basket and he started walking briskly away.  I started kind of a half jog and he took off running as fast as he could.  He jumped over a small wall onto an escalator going down.  I stopped and went back to Peggy.  Peggy told the store manager and he shrugged his shoulder and said it happens all the time.

Apparently if you ever come to Shaoguan you need to watch your personal items very closely.  Because the people here are very poor there is a lot of stealing going on.

Yesterday we went to Peggy's mother's farm.  The home where she was born and grew up.  The journey was by taxi because it was raining and Peggy didn't want to walk down a dirt road to the house.  I agreed.  Then when we got there it was so far back in the woods I wouldn't want to ride a bus and walk ever.  It would take the better part of 1 hour to walk.

I didn't mention it but we took Peggy's granddaughter with us also.  Sisi has warmed up to me quite a but but I ain't grandmother and she will let me know it every now and then.  I have been calling her affectionately boogerhead be she can be one quite often.  Last night Peggy what boogerhead meant so I ran it through mdbg translator thinking she is really going to be mad.  When she saw the translation she broke out laughing and said yes, she is.

When we arrived at mothers house I noticed it was quite large by the Chinese standards I had seen to this point but it was run down and yes very poor.  The kitchen does not have running water and is carried in by bucket that from the well in their yard.  You have to prime the pump to get the water going.  Peggy's mother and sister in law had begun cooking lunch and I watched with fascination.  They had one propane burner and a very large home made wood burning stove and oven.  Mom stoked up the stove and made quite a bit.  The wok on the hand made had me quite nervous because I realized it was big enough to put me in it if necessary.

When lunch was finally prepared I began eating and the food was out of this world.  It is by far the best food I have ever eaten in China.  OK it is settled I will retire here only if mother is alive and still cooking.  That being the case I will be almost as big as Ted is.  Hehe.

They even had Chinese `chili reanos there.  I scarfed those down with great vigor.  It was a chili, ground pork, rice, and some things that Peggy said don't ask what it is.  I bit into something today and then asked Peggy and she said don't ask but I pressed the point.  It turned out it was pigs stomach.  Sorry I asked.

Peggy's brother came home and they spent the next few hours talking.  Peggy and I have got into a thing where she will slap me on the arm, not hard, and it will slap back.  We will go not 10 to 20 times then end in laughing.  Well Peggy said something and I said something back and she slapped me so off we go into the routine.  Mother was delighted with it.  She laughed and laughed.  She then told her daughter that we are very good together.  We should be happy married to each other.

We took pictures and I was showing them to mother and Sisi was looking too.  I was showing them from my camera when Sisi slapped the camera so hard she knocked it out of my hands and into a bowl of water.  Now you know where boogerhead comes from.  I snatched the camera out of the water and took the batteries and disc out immediately.  I did yell a little but regained my composure after a few words one of which was boogerhead.  Then I told Peggy she was only a small child and does not understand what she did but that didn't stop Peggy from wearing out the little girl butt.  Peggy's brother got a hair dryer and we dried out the camera.  Once it cooled off from the blow dryer I put the batteries back in and all was good.  I told Peggy OK so will will take the little boogerhead back with us, she won't have to stay with great grandmother.

The taxi arrived to pick us up and we went back home.  I tried to take more photos but there was a spot on the center of the camera screen that was washed out.  When I got home I downloaded them and the spot was still there.  Now I'm hot but I decided to investigate a little more and discovered that there was a water spot on the lens and all is well.  Dang I was hoping to get a new camera out of the deal. Hehe.

Peggy's family sent us home with a 50lb bag of rice from their land along with supples to make cakes.  Peggy took what she wanted and sent the rest of the rice to her other brother.

Today we shipped the rice by bus and then met her oldest sisters brother for a little shopping and lunch today.  This is the sister I met about 4 days ago.  He was down buying product for their store.  He also told me he could get me a great deal on mahjong tiles.   I have learned an important rule today.  If your girlfriend/wife or one of her relatives tells you they can get you a great discount on something and they put a dollar value on it you had better at least double what they said.  So far it has happened every time.  I am not sure why but it appears to work that way for me.  We decided to do something different today.  I would cook supper.  I made beef stew.  She said she liked it but I could tell she didn't like it very much.  Oh well at least I tried.

Tomorrow is a big day.  It is Peggy's birthday and I am grasping on how to do it big for her.  I think I will invite her children out for lunch at a restaurant.

All for now.
« Last Edit: June 26, 2010, 07:55:38 am by shaun »

ttwjr32

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Re: Trip Two Shaoguan
« Reply #46 on: June 26, 2010, 06:19:50 am »
so i take it he didnt get anything since you turned around in time?

how was the farm? did you get any pics of it?

shaun

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Re: Trip Two Shaoguan
« Reply #47 on: June 26, 2010, 07:58:28 am »
Ted,

Sorry, no he didn't get anything but I sure wanted to get him this time.  I will post more pictures.  Peggy is trying to keep me off of the computer.  She says I spend too much time on the computer.

shaun

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Re: Trip Two Shaoguan
« Reply #48 on: June 27, 2010, 09:55:52 am »
I did forget to mention something in my update yesterday.  To me it was kind of weird.  Yesterday morning Peggy woke up saying her stomach hurt and that she needed to see a doctor.  I was really concerned.  The she got up and said no wait, you can help me?  I am thinking what can I do?  She runs into the kitchen gets a rice bowl put water in it and get a porsalin (sp) spoon.  She said let me show you.  You can help me save 200RMB.  She dipped the spoon  into water and them began rubbing her back with the edge of it.  She said like this but harder, first red then black.

So I began rubbing it and she kept on saying harder harder.  I don't want to hurt her but her skin is beginning to turn red.  She kept on saying harder.  I know, sounds like Willy having sex.  Oops, did I say that?  I am complaining that I do not like this or what I am seeing because I can see blood just below the skin.  I am thinking if I do this in America the police would arrest me for spouse abuse.  She says it feels good.  I said yeh right.  I get a mirror out and make her look and she says very good now black.  I said no more but she insisted.  Her skin began turning a darker brown and then she said good. I feel better.  We yeh, I would to if you stopped scraping my back.

I don't know about that one.  It kind of reminds me of when mpo4747 mike was talking about cupping.  Today her back is still red and it looks like she scrapped a wall with it but she says it feels real good and she has not complained about her stomach since.

Here are a couple of more picture of our trip to her mothers house.

ttwjr32

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Re: Trip Two Shaoguan
« Reply #49 on: June 27, 2010, 11:56:04 am »
actually the cupping has worked wonders at time for my back

ttwjr32

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Re: Trip Two Shaoguan
« Reply #50 on: June 27, 2010, 09:04:29 pm »
the pics didnt show up??

Offline Bee964

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Re: Trip Two Shaoguan
« Reply #51 on: July 08, 2010, 01:58:46 pm »
I am guessing that Shaun will post the pictures when he gets home.

Dave C
Life is like a jar of Jalapenos-- What you eat today will burn your ass tomorrow!.

shaun

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Re: Trip Two Shaoguan
« Reply #52 on: July 09, 2010, 07:09:17 am »
Yes Dave I will.  I am In San Antonio right now at my son's graduation from boot camp in the Air Force.  I say him yesterday.  It took me a while to recognize him.  We had lunch and supper together and I was still amazed at how he looked and acted.  All good.

I'll post some time next week. 

ttwjr32

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Re: Trip Two Shaoguan
« Reply #53 on: July 11, 2010, 02:15:20 am »
so were will he be stationed at. my neice ended up on an aircraft carrier off the coast of Japan for a
couple of years

shaun

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Re: Trip Two Shaoguan
« Reply #54 on: July 11, 2010, 05:01:27 am »
Ted he is going to Tech school in Wichita Falls.  He is going to school to be a jet engine mechanic on a C-130.   They have not told him where he will be stationed but there is a real need overseas.

ttwjr32

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Re: Trip Two Shaoguan
« Reply #55 on: July 11, 2010, 08:52:22 am »
he will enjoy it much as my neice has really not regretted it and is piling up a lot of cash from them to
pursue her degrees when she gets out. she is in her second 4 years.

shaun

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Re: Trip Two Shaoguan
« Reply #56 on: July 11, 2010, 08:09:58 pm »
Wow, I didn't post very much after June 26.  Peggy didn't like me spending so much time on the computer.  She wanted my complete attention while I was there.   ;)

Her birthday went very well.  We spent the day doing what she wanted.  We were supposed to have dinner at a special restaurant but the day got away from us and we never made it.  I already knew what I wanted to buy her as a gift.  When I helped her move from Shenzhen to Shaoguan I noticed she didn't have very much jewelry.  She has pierced ears but no earrings.  She would also occasionally she would look into the window of a jewelry store and would only say she liked to look.  About 8:00pm  we were walking through the she old town shopping center, I stopped in front of the jewelry store where I bought the engagement ring for her back in April and asked her if she would like to go in and look.  She said no but I insisted.  We looked around and I said let's look at earrings.  So we sat down and looked.  There were 3 different pair she though she liked.  I asked her if she could have a pair which ones would she like the most.  The pointed and I asked the clerk how much they were and I said let's get them.  Then I turned and said happy birthday to Peggy.  You should have looked at her face.  It was worth a millionRMB.

Later as we were walking back to the house she was holding onto my arm a little extra close and a little extra hard.  She told me that in her 48 years I was the only person that had given her earrings.  I was amazed.

A couple of days later we went to Yingdu for her sister and brother in-law to investigate a business idea for the US.  Yingdu is between Guangzhou and Shaoguan in the mountains and is quite beautiful.  Their industry there is landscaping rocks.  It almost seems the whole city is in the business.  Now we are talking in term of tons here. 2, 3, and up to 20 tons for one rock.  It is quite incredible.  I took tons of pictures but will only share the best ones later.  Needless to say I was impressed and it was worth the day trip to go there.

Then we went to Guangzhou to do some shopping for me and my business.  I was like a child in a candy factory.  Peggy lived there for 8 years working for a company who made some of the ingredients for Pepsi Cola.  Peggy was the official taster and explains to me why she does not like soft drinks.  She left the business two years ago.  She has many friends there that are now friends of mine.  He old boss spent a couple of days with us and told her he would hire her back in a minute.  Meeting her friends only confirmed that I really have one phenomenal woman.

One of her friends is dating a man in the US so she grilled me on American men.  Then she had a friend who is about to marry an American and had a few concerns she wanted to talk with me about.  Then she wanted her fiancé to talk with me so I gave her my phone number.   I told Peggy what I did and spent the next hour trying to explain my way out of that one.  Our final agreement was that I was never ever to give my American phone number to another woman again, especially a Chinese woman.  Dang, they can sure get jealous real fast.  I only thought I was being helpful.

Peggy and I had breakfast with the Ambassador one morning before he went to Beijing.  Then we went to the American Consulate.  What a fiasco.  It was a total waste of time.

Peggy, her friends and I went shopping at several wholesale stores.  I bought quite a lot and we had a lot of fun.  The next day we went to the world largest furniture market in another city near Guangzhou.  I think I could have spent a week there and not seen it all.  We were in Guangzhou a total of 4 days.

Two things particular to note is that one night her friends got me something special to eat.  It was a small bird.  I tried it, it tasted OK but it was pigeon and I could not get past the thought and could only eat a little bit.  The other is that one evening Peggy and I were on our own and we went to a restaurant called Moon Bay Café.  Ted it is worth trying.  It is a fusion of American and Japanese food.  It has a sushi bar.  The couple next to us had a steak.  I asked Peggy if she was interested in one.  She was not sure so I ordered 2.  It was good and Peggy loved it.  We had steak and noodles. Well???  It isn’t quite the same without a baked potato but I hit the spot anyway.

From there Peggy and I went to Shenzhen.  We met up with her youngest brother and his wife.  For the first time we ate hot pot there.  WOW.  Now I want to open up a hot pot restaurant in the US.  Not really.  But the food was amazing.  The soy milk was terrible but everything else was really good.  We were there 2 days.

I tried to ship 2 Mahjong games to myself in American and the China Post would not do it.  They told me it was against the law.  I asked them to show me the law so Peggy could read it.  I tried to explain that you can buy it here trough eBay but they would not show me the written law and would not budge.  I was afraid that I would be overweight with my luggage and I was.
From there I said, I need coffee so we stopped at a KFC.  They said that they didn’t sell coffee that time of day but I would buy coffee with ice coffee with ice cream in it.  So I think this will be something else Peggy will like.  Wrong.  It is too cold and I end up eating both.  About an hour later Peggy said that she had a runny nose and her throat was beginning to hurt.  She then told me it was because of the coffee and ice cream.

 The next morning we went to Hong Kong. Peggy was feeling a little worse and I could tell she had a head cold.  She was still blaming the ice cream and ice coffee, but we were in a nice hotel in Hong Kong overlooking the bay.   It was the Royal View Hotel.  We were going to go to Disneyland but she was not feeling all that good so we stayed in the room and she slept.  Later that day she was feeling better.

This was not only Peggy’s first time out of China but the first time she has been outside of Guangdong province.  We walked around town and looked, went back to the hotel and walked the beach at night.  We had fun.

The next day I got onto the airplane and came back home.  We were both sad but at the same time we made a lot of progress in our relationship.  I have found the perfect woman for me.  It was well worth the 28 days that passed very fast.  One the way home I came down with the same cold.  And of course I am very lonely just like Peggy is.  I’ve got to get her here soon.

I need to handle some business here and then will edit photos and post them.

Offline Jason B

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Re: Trip Two Shaoguan
« Reply #57 on: July 11, 2010, 10:01:11 pm »
Shaun, very interesting trip you had.  Who would ever think that a cold coffee drink would give you a head cold?  Wendy has been saying that I have to try the hotpot when in Shenzhen so now it is a must.  Looking forward to the pictures.  All the best to you and Peggy.
I WILL have my revenge for having to be clean shaven......once I learn how to tame my Dragon.

Paul Todd

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Re: Trip Two Shaoguan
« Reply #58 on: July 11, 2010, 11:35:57 pm »
Hi Shaun,

Great update,thanks. Sounds like you had a fantastic 28 days together. I know what your saying about China post! I ship stuff out for buyers in the UK and Europe mainly and sometimes China post just flat out refuse to send it. They say that it's against the law like you say, sometimes even private shipper say this. Now I have a "friend" in one of the international shipping companies and all these law's just seem to melt away. It's just China I think. I hope the time passes quickly untill you and Peggy are back together again. They sure are surprising women aren't they!

Hi Jason,
If you think the idea of getting a head cold from drinking cold coffee is strange just wait till you get here! One word of advice is don't try and change your ladies view on all this stuff just except it. Not long now................................Best of luck with your trip!

Offline Jason B

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Re: Trip Two Shaoguan
« Reply #59 on: July 12, 2010, 06:55:12 am »
One word of advice is don't try and change your ladies view on all this stuff just except it.

Shaun, sorry to hijack your thread.  Paul thanks for the good advice, taken onboard.  I will be going with eyes wide open and blinkers off.
I WILL have my revenge for having to be clean shaven......once I learn how to tame my Dragon.